My life has been touched multiple times, beginning at a young age, (too young to understand) but for this entry I'd like to share with you all when God became real to me, because before that, He was just a venerated, far-away deity who used to do great things a long time ago. I did not believe that He still did things like He used to...I guess, in a way, I didn't believe He was alive in modern times.
Hebrews 13:8 King James Version (KJV)
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Malachi 3:6 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
My brother invited me and some other family members to attend a church service where Kenneth Hagin (senior; deceased) would be preaching. (1979--and it was not my church, I was visiting Indiana) It was held in a small, white, wooden, country church of a small Indiana town. The pews were filled, and so were the aisles. So, I attended, but I was 17, and I didn't listen to one bit of the sermon. (Sorry, but I have to keep it real
) I was graduating high school early to escape my parents horrible divorce and constant arguing. Plus, my parents believed that it was wrong for any female to go off to college unescorted. So, I believed in nothing, and no one. Oddly enough, I was not depressed during that time. I just wanted to escape them and all the craziness.
At the end of the sermon, Pastor Hagin called up all the visiting pastors to form 2 lines down the center aisle. He told them that he would pass through the 2 lines praying for them. And he did. He jumped off the platform and ran through the 2 lines of pastors, and all of them fell back...and there were at least 30 of them. And to this, I rolled my eyes. How could there be such theatrics in a church? Please!
Next, Pastor Hagin called the rest of us, pew by pew. My brother was so excited. He wanted to get slain in the spirit. He said to me, "Go up there with me." To which I responded, "Are you kidding me? No one paid me to fall down to give this man credibility." And he challenged me, "Well then, you have nothing to fear, because nothing will happen to you, right?"
And so, I went up there. Pastor Hagin was more than 3 feet away. He never touched me. In less than a second of being up there, I fell, as did most of the people up there. But my brother, who was standing next to me, and wanted so badly to fall, did not fall. So, as it turned out, no one paid me to fall, and I fell.
Then there was an open call to anyone who wished to receive their prayer language. I was curious. I had to go further. I now understood that God was alive. Now I knew that He knew me.
The group of people there were prayed for and each began to speak in other tongues. I received three little words. Three! That's it! When right next to me was a girl my age, speaking a beautiful, flowing language...so beautiful. I must admit, I felt a bit short-changed. But it was then explained that some people are more yielding to the Holy Spirit, while others are extremely cautious and "apply the brakes" in fear of the unknown, and that in time, when we continued to pray to God, the gift would naturally increase. Yep, that was me, super cautious and level-headed, even for a 17 year old. But it was irrefutable. That evening, I found out that Christ is alive and the Holy Spirit still moves- can still move in our lives, if we let Him. Amen.
Hebrews 13:8 King James Version (KJV)
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Malachi 3:6 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
My brother invited me and some other family members to attend a church service where Kenneth Hagin (senior; deceased) would be preaching. (1979--and it was not my church, I was visiting Indiana) It was held in a small, white, wooden, country church of a small Indiana town. The pews were filled, and so were the aisles. So, I attended, but I was 17, and I didn't listen to one bit of the sermon. (Sorry, but I have to keep it real
) I was graduating high school early to escape my parents horrible divorce and constant arguing. Plus, my parents believed that it was wrong for any female to go off to college unescorted. So, I believed in nothing, and no one. Oddly enough, I was not depressed during that time. I just wanted to escape them and all the craziness.At the end of the sermon, Pastor Hagin called up all the visiting pastors to form 2 lines down the center aisle. He told them that he would pass through the 2 lines praying for them. And he did. He jumped off the platform and ran through the 2 lines of pastors, and all of them fell back...and there were at least 30 of them. And to this, I rolled my eyes. How could there be such theatrics in a church? Please!
Next, Pastor Hagin called the rest of us, pew by pew. My brother was so excited. He wanted to get slain in the spirit. He said to me, "Go up there with me." To which I responded, "Are you kidding me? No one paid me to fall down to give this man credibility." And he challenged me, "Well then, you have nothing to fear, because nothing will happen to you, right?"
And so, I went up there. Pastor Hagin was more than 3 feet away. He never touched me. In less than a second of being up there, I fell, as did most of the people up there. But my brother, who was standing next to me, and wanted so badly to fall, did not fall. So, as it turned out, no one paid me to fall, and I fell.
Then there was an open call to anyone who wished to receive their prayer language. I was curious. I had to go further. I now understood that God was alive. Now I knew that He knew me.
The group of people there were prayed for and each began to speak in other tongues. I received three little words. Three! That's it! When right next to me was a girl my age, speaking a beautiful, flowing language...so beautiful. I must admit, I felt a bit short-changed. But it was then explained that some people are more yielding to the Holy Spirit, while others are extremely cautious and "apply the brakes" in fear of the unknown, and that in time, when we continued to pray to God, the gift would naturally increase. Yep, that was me, super cautious and level-headed, even for a 17 year old. But it was irrefutable. That evening, I found out that Christ is alive and the Holy Spirit still moves- can still move in our lives, if we let Him. Amen.
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